The present invention relates generally to collapsible containers and more particularly to an improved latch for a collapsible container.
Collapsible containers are well known. Typically, four walls, each connected via a hinge to a base, are selectively moveable about the hinge between an upright use position in which the wall is generally perpendicular to the base and a collapsed position on the base. Various mechanisms have been provided to connect adjacent walls at the corners to selectively lock the container in the use position and selectively permit the collapse of the walls onto the base for transport or storage.
Generally, there are two kinds of collapsible containers. Some containers include latches at the corners that lock the walls in the upright position until the latch is selectively actuated to permit the movement of the walls to the collapsed position. Typically these latches are actuated manually by a user selectively deflecting the latch to permit movement of the walls. Other latches are optimized for actuation by automated equipment, which actuates the latch and collapses the container.
Another known type of collapsible container is the “knock-down” container. Often there is simply some sort of interference fit between a member on one wall with a complementary member on the adjacent wall. Thus, no actuation of a latch is required. The walls are forcibly moved into the upright position and can be forcibly knocked-down to the collapsed position without actuation of any latches. One disadvantage of the knock-down container is that the force required to lock the walls in the upright position may be much higher than normal latched containers because this is the same (or nearly the same) force that retains the walls in the upright position. In fact, knock-down containers often require the user to manually force the interference members together one-by-one.